


Untitled DH Fic #2

by mithrel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Afterlife, Blanket Permission, Canonical Character Death, Character Death Fix, Deathly Hallows Fix, Gen, Podfic Welcome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-05-03
Updated: 2009-05-03
Packaged: 2017-11-13 18:33:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/506455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mithrel/pseuds/mithrel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fred and George are reunited.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Untitled DH Fic #2

George opened his eyes and looked around. He couldn’t remember what he had been doing, or where he’d been. Before he could get a good look at his surroundings, there was a shriek, and a sobbing figure hurtled into his arms.

George staggered back a pace, and managed to pry the figure off him with extreme difficulty. He looked with shock at the face, one that he had thought of every day of his life, but that he hadn’t seen for nearly a hundred years, as it all came flooding back…the battle, Fred’s death, Voldemort’s defeat, and the aftermath…

“F-fred? But…you’re dead!” It was the only thing he could think of to say.

Fred looked just as he had last seen him, untouched by the years that had left their mark upon George.

Fred looked up at him through his tears, managed a grin, and said, “So’re you.”

“But…but…”

“Don’t you remember?”

George furrowed his brow. “I remember I was sick…and the Healer couldn’t do anything, she said it was just a matter of time…” He broke off. “But what about Angelina? And the children…?”

“They’ll cope somehow. Nice of you to name one after me, by the way.”

“Of _course_ I’d…but I can’t just…”

Fred looked at him with an unwontedly serious expression. “You have to learn to let go. I did. Hardest thing I ever did, but I managed.”

Still trying to get a handle on what had happened, George realised something. “We’re not identical anymore.” The thought made him feel somehow hollow, similar to how he had felt when he realised he was going to spend the rest of his life as half a person.

“Yeah we are.” Fred handed him a mirror, and George looked at it. Gone was the wizened wizard with the white hair that he had seen when he looked in the mirror for the last twenty-five years. The George in the mirror looked as he had during the war, right after they had left school. Even his ear was restored. He ran a hand over it. It felt strange, having two ears again, after all this time.

“Anyway, you’ve gotta come and meet the Marauders!”

“The Marauders? Are _they_ here?”

“’Course, c’mon!” And Fred was dragging him over what he only now realised was the Hogwarts grounds and into the entrance hall.

In the hall was a man with brown hair who looked somewhat familiar, but George couldn’t place him.

“’Lo Moony, where are the others? I want George to meet them.”

“Well, he’s already met two of us. Hello again, George.”

It was then that George recognised him. “Professor Lupin?”

Lupin nodded. He looked much younger and happier than George had ever seen him, with no scars or grey hair.

George hit himself in the forehead. “Of course! Moony, right?”

Lupin nodded, smiling.

“But who were the others?”

“I’ll go get them, shall I?” And he turned and proceeded up the marble staircase.

“Probably going to check Gryffindor Tower.” Fred remarked.

“The Marauders were in Gryffindor? Wicked! But what did he mean, I’d already met two of them?”

Fred grinned annoyingly. “You’ll see.”

After a few moments Lupin came down the stairs again, followed by two men, one of whom George recognised.

“ _Sirius?_ ”

“Mr. Padfoot, at your service,” Sirius said with a mocking bow. He too looked much younger than George had ever seen him, and happier, without the haunted look in his eye.

“So that makes you…?” George cut off with a gasp as he got a good look at the third man. Other than the hazel eyes, and absence of a scar, he was the spitting image of Harry.

“James Potter, yes,” he said. “And Prongs. I’ve already thanked Fred, but I want to thank you for passing the Map on to Harry.”

“I…well…we…didn’t…you’re welcome,” George finished lamely.

He rounded suddenly on Sirius and Lupin. “Why didn’t you _tell_ us you were Marauders?”

Sirius shrugged, “Well, we did tell Harry, but the subject never came up again.”

“We had more important things to worry about,” Lupin agreed.

George turned to James, “Why did they call you Prongs?”

For answer, James transformed momentarily into the stag, and then back. “We get in terrible trouble if we scuff the floor,” he said, checking to make sure he hadn’t.

George smacked himself again. “Another one I should have guessed! Harry’s Patronus!”

James smiled. “I was always rather proud of him, that he could produce a Patronus so young. But of course, Moony here gets the credit for that.”

Lupin shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous, he always had the potential, I just taught him the focus.”

“So were all the Marauders Animagi? And…hold on…” George looked around, “Where’s Wormtail?”

Sirius growled, James scowled and even Lupin looked grim.

“We don’t talk about that rat,” Sirius said.

“He’s been stricken from the Marauders,” James agreed.

“But, after all, James, he _did_ spare Harry,” Lupin pointed out.

“I’ve told you a million times, Remus, it was because of the Life Debt. If it weren’t for that, he would have killed Harry with no qualms.”

George was looking from one to the other in bewilderment. Fred noticed. “You’d better explain, guys. George just got here after all.”

And so the Marauders explained how they became Animagi, how Pettigrew was the Secret-Keeper, how he betrayed the Potters (at this point George was quite in agreement with James and Sirius: Wormtail didn’t deserve to be in the Marauders), how Sirius found out he wasn’t dead, was in fact in hiding as Ron’s rat (“ _Scabbers?!_ ” “Yep”), how Harry spared his life, he escaped, helped Voldemort regain power, and was strangled by his own hand for not killing Harry.

“Sirius is right, Professor,” George said, turning to Lupin. “If it wasn’t for the Life Debt he’d have killed Harry.” Lupin shrugged, evidently not agreeing. “So where is he now?”

“Around somewhere,” Sirius said. “We’re not really sure. He knows he’s not welcome around here, so he keeps to himself.”

“Anyway,” Fred said, turning to George, “Let’s get you settled in. This Hogwarts is a lot bigger, since it has to accommodate so many more people. Apparently a lot of people want to come back here after death. Of course, some of them live in Hogsmeade, but it still needs to be bigger.”

And George walked up to Gryffindor tower, arm in arm with his twin.


End file.
